Garment-supporting clasp



(No Model.)

J. P. ATWOOD. GARMENT SUPPORTING CLASP. No. 580,518. PatentedApr. 13,1897 \IWTNEEEEE INVENTU I JAMES F. ATYVOOD, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

GARMENT-SUPPORTING CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of .Letters Patent No. 580,518, dated April13, 1897. Application filed March 6, 1897. Serial No. 626,176. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES F. ATWOOD, a citizen of the United States,residing in Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in GarmentSupporting Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of garment-supporting clasps inwhich the device is made of metal and in which two jaws are employed,one being a stationary and one a movable jaw, the movable jaw comprisinga jointed lever or toggle.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions and arrangementsof parts whereby a firm and unyielding grip is produced upon either thinor thick fabric without danger of tearing or injuring the material, andwhereby the movable jaw is, when the device is not closed upon thefabric, normally open and in a raised position, so that the fabric maybe inserted in the clasp without any preliminary opening or preparationof said clasp for the fabric.

The nature of the invention is fully described below and illustrated inthe acconr panying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of myimproved clasp supported by a suitable piece of webbing, the clasp beingopen and in its normal position when it is not engaged in supporting agarment. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same in a closed position.Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the same in a closed position,showing a portion of a garment engaged by the clasp. Fig. 4 is a rearelevation of the clasp in an open position. Fig. 5 is a rear elevationin a closed position. Fig. 6 represents the blank from which the upperportion of the movable jaw is constructed.

Fig. 7 represents the said portion completed, but not applied inposition.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

a represents a portion of the webbing from which the clasp is usuallysuspended.

The device comprises a stationary and a movable jaw. The stationary jawconsists of a wire bent into the shape shown-that is to say, into thenearly parallel sides A, whose k lower ends are spread outward at A andthence inward that is, toward the movable jaw-at a substantially rightangle into the foot A, such portion including the central portion of thewire. From the side portions A the wire is bent slightly inward-that is,towardthe other jaw at B-and is spread slightly at the same portions,and at B .is bent outward at substantially right angles with the portionA and thence at B curved back inward, so that the two ends of the wireare substantially on a line and face each other, as shown in Fig. at.Loosely disposed around the upper portions or ends of the wireconstituting the stationary jaw is the sleeve or tube G, and around thesleeve the supporting-webbing is arranged. The portions of the wireconstituting the jaw above the bends B produce, therefore, the loop, theupper portion of which is engaged, as above mentioned, by thesupporting-webbin g. The horizontal portion of the foot A has looselydisposed upon it a sleeve or tube D, formed or provided with the cam D,projecting from said sleeve or tube and extending lengthwise with it.

The movable jaw consists of two portions which constitute a jointedlever or toggle. The portion E is a wire tongue closed at its lower endand spreading at its upper end into the two outwardly-projectin g endsE. These ends extend loosely into loops or folds F, which are formedfrom the lower edge of the plate H, near its opposite end, such loops orfolds projecting outward from said plate. Formed on the upper edge ofthe plate H and near the opposite ends thereof are theinwardly-projecting folds or loops F, such folds F extending looselyaround the lower section of the loop at the upper end of the stationaryjaw.

It will be noticed that the inner edges F of the folds F extend or curveinwardly, as shown in Figs. 1, 5, and 7, such curvatures being producedby the recesses F. (Indicated in the blank illustrated in Fig. 6.) Thesides A of the wire constituting the stationary jaw spring normallyoutward and, when the device is not in use, bybearing outwardly againstthe said edges F, throw the plate H up into the position indicated inFigs. 1 and 4., thus lifting the tongue E so that the clasp is wideopen, ready for the application of the edge of the garment which it isintended to support. Thus the bother of separating the jaws in order toapply the clasp to the garment is done away with.

To apply the clasp to a garment, lay the edge of the garment upon thefoot A, place the lower end of the tongue E upon that portion of thegarment which is on the foot behind the sleeve or tube D, and then forcethe tongue down upon said garment behind said sleeve or tube by pressingon the joint connecting the portions E and H until the device is in theposition indicated in Fig. 3, in which S indicates a portion of thegarment. The cam D by this operation and by the pull of the garment isforced back against the fabric S, the distance to which it is forceddepending on the thickness of the fabric. Thus the space between thefoot A and the lower end of the loop E is completely filled by thefabric and the cam, the latter swinging or rolling rearward or inwardagainst the fabric whether it is thick or thin, the distance to whichthe cam swings rearward being greater, of course, if the fabric is thin.To release the fabric, press out the lower edge of the plate H bygrasping its corners and it will fly up into the position indicated inFig. 1, as above explained, leaving ample space for insertion of theedge of another fabric or garment. Thus a firm and unyielding grip isafforded upon fabrics of different thicknesses, and as the cam D is aslong as the sleeve D the friction is distributed sufficiently to preventthe garment from becoming torn.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is.

1. In a garment-supporting clasp, the combination of the stationary jawconsisting of a wire formed with the horizontal foot A bent inward atsubstantially right angles with the main portion of the jaw, thesubstantially vertical parallel sides A, and a loop formed of the upperends of said wires and adapted to engage the supporting-webbing; thesleeve or tube placed loosely around said horizontal foot and formedwith the longitudinal cam D projecting therefrom; and a movable jawconsisting of a jointed lever or toggle pivotally secured at its upperend to the stationary jaw and with its lower end adapted to be presseddown into and to the rear of said foot and between the tube and cam andthe lower ends of the portions A, substantially as described.

2. In a garment-supporting clasp, the combination of the stationary jawcomprising a wire formed with the horizontal foot A, the spring verticalsides A, and a loop extending outward from the upper ends of said sidesand thence bent inward with the ends of the wire extending toward eachother and forming the upper portion of said loop; and the movable jawconsisting of the plate H provided with the rearward folds F at itsupper end extending loosely around the lower section of said loop formedat the upper end of said stationary jaw, said folds having their inneredges F curved inwardly and thus bearing against the spring sides of thestationary jaw, and the loop E pivotally secured at its upper end to thelower edge of said plate and adapted to be forced into said foot,substantially as set forth.

3. In a garmentsupporting clasp, a pair of jaws hinged together at theirupper ends, and a cam disposed on the lower end of one of said pair ofjaws and arranged to swing freely on its support, said cam being adaptedto engage with the other jaw, whereby a portion of the fabric making apart of the garment interposed between said cam and opposite jaw will becrowded between them and be firmly held thereby, substantially asdescribed.

JAMES F. ATWOOD.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, A. N. BONNEY.

